Variable throat rocket nozzle



Patented May 8, 1951 2,552,497 VARIABLE THROAT nooxET NOZZLE Franklin E. Roach and Oliver Evans Duemler, Pasadena, Calif., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application August 13, 1945, Serial No. 610,653

1 Claim.

This invention relates to rockets and has particular relation to a novel variable throat rocket nozzle for use with rocket motor tubes.

During burning of a propellent grain in a rocket motor tube, the generated gas pressure varies at different states of the burning. Thegenerated gas pressure varies principally because of the construction and characteristics of the propellent grain and because of fissuring and breaking up of the propellent grain during deilagration. Thus, during periods of minimum pressure, the force of propulsion may be insuificient to maintain the rocket on its desired course; whereas during periods of maximum pressure, an excess quantity of gas pressure may be built up within the rocket motor tube due to its inability to escape through the exhaust nozzle, which may result in bursting of the motor tube or it may result in blowing the nozzle fixture from the motor tube.

An object of the present invention is to provide a variable throat rocket nozzle wherein the effective throat area of the nozzle varies directly in proportion to increases or decreases in gas pressures generated within the rocket motor tube by the burning of the propellent grain so as to compensate for and control such variations in pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a variable throat rocket nozzle Which will materially increase the temperature range at which the rocket motor may be safely operated; that is, to provide a nozzle throat opening which may be automatically adjusted to the burning rate of the propellent grain, the throat enlarging at high temperatures within the motor tube to permit relief of the excess gas pressure and constricting at low temperatures within the motor tube to permit the generation of the desired gas pressure.

Still another object is to provide a Variable throat rocket nozzle which will minimize the possibility of bursting of the rocket motor tube by relieving the pressure developed in the tube before it reaches dangerous values and utilizing the excess pressure to propel the rocket.

A further object is to provide a variable throat rocket nozzle which will tend to eliminate variations in trajectory of the rocket caused by differences in initial temperature and pressure developed on ignition of the propellent grain and the temperatures andpressures developed throughout the burning period.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. l is a view in elevation of a complete rocket assembly embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the after body of a rocket showing the exhaust pertion of the motor tube and one form of the new variable throat rocket nozzle;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of variable throat rocket nozzle made in accordance with the present invention.

The. complete rocket assembly, as shown in Fig; 1, comprises a barrage or projectile body I0, a motor tube I l and a nozzle housing I2 mounted at the exhaust end of the motor tube. The variable throat rocket nozzle, as shown in a preferred embodiment in Fig. 2, comprises a motor tube ll having mounted therein a propellent grain l3 and having secured to its exhaust end a nozzle housing 12 which may be screw threaded into the interior of the motor tube, as shown at l4. A grain support spider or grid I5 is mounted in the tube against the shoulder I6 of the inner end of the nozzle housing. The grid l5 serves to support the grain l3 and prevents it from being blown out the nozzle upon ignition and during burning of the grain. A regulator cone i! is mounted on the grid M, as by means of a screw thread arrangement shown at IS. The regulator cone is provided with a tapered end portion [9 which projects into the nozzle bor 23. The extended exhaust portion of the nozzle housing I2 is provided with a counterbore forming a spring chamber 20 defined at its innerside by the nozzle 22 and at the exhaust end by the centering ring 2|. The nozzle housing I2 is internally threaded at its exhaust end in order to receive a centering ring 2 I. A nozzle 22, in the form of a tube having a Venturi bore or chamber 23 is slidably supported by the inner Wall of the nozzle housing [2 and by the inner wall 25 of the centering ring 21. The nozzle 22 is provided with an external flange 26 which extends into the spring chamber 20 and normally abuts a shoulder 21 formed by the inner end of the counterbore or spring chamber 20. A helical spring 28 is interposed between the flange 26 and the centering ring 2! in order to maintain the nozzle at its normal inner position, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that the effective nozzle throat area is defined by the tapered portion IQ of the cone I! and by the minor diameter portion of the Venturi bore or nozzle chamber 23. Upon ignition of the propellent grain I3 in the motor tube I l, gas pressure is built up in the motor tube chamber 29 by burning of the propellent grain. This gas under pressure is exhausted through the ports 30 of the grid I5 and is exhausted through the area between the cone l9 and the minor diametered portion of the nozzle chamber 23. In the event that an excess gas pressure is built up in the motor chamber, such as is unable to be instantaneously exhausted through the nozzle chamber in its normal position. the exhaust pressure reacts against the inner end portion 3| of the nozzle 22, thereby forcing it rearwardly against the inward reaction of the spring 28. If the proper spring tension i selected, movement of the nozzle may be controlled so that the flow of exhaust gas results in a substantially constant pressure within the motor tube. This is due to the fact that the effective throat area between the nozzle and the tapered cone is increased when the nozzle moves outwardly against the resistanceof the spring. Thus, it will be seen that as the pressure in the motor chamber is increased, the efiective nozzle area is likewise increased. Conversely, when the pressure within the motor chamber is decreased the nozzle i moved forward by the expansion of the spring, thereby decreasing the effective nozzlearea.

It will be understood that by proper selection of spring tension and taper .of the none, the variable throat rocket nozzle ofthe present invention may be so arranged that the initial compression caused by ignition of the propellentgrainwill not be released until the temperature within the rocket motor has rea'oheda predetermined value, whereupon the nozzle will tend to compensate for changes in pressure in the gas chamber and thereby maintain a predetermined value of :gas pressure. In this manner it is apparent :that the gas pressure at the nozzle end of the motor tube acts on the exposed annulus of the nozzle and compresses the spring until there is equilibrium between the spring and the gas pressure. Rearward movement of the nozzle causes the efiective throat area to increase as the nozzle moves with respect to the tapered cone, and conversely, when the spring pressure is greater than the gas pressure, the nozzle is forced inwardly thereby reducing the effectivethroat area.

In a modified form the variable throat rocket nozzle of the present invention may be con structed so that the central cone is slidably mounted and the rocket nozzle is fixed within the nozzle housing. Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 4, the elements are designated by reference characters numbered 100 digits higher than like parts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In thismodification the nozzle housing i 52 is mounted in the motor tube III by means of an internal screw thread arrangement H4. .A stationary grain support grid d having exhaust apertures 41 is mounted by screw thread arrangement 12 in the motor tube in order to position'the 'propellent grain H3. A movable grid H5 is positioned in themotor tube between the grid ID-and the'spring I28 and has mounted thereon by screw thread arrangement H8 a regulator cone H1 having an invertedl-y tapered end portion I l 9 which projects into the nozzle chamber I23. A helical spring'l28 is positioned in the spring chamber [20 and bears against the exhaust side of the spider H5 and the'inner end annulus l3il' of the nozz1e l22. The nozzle is provided with an external flan e 4-26 which is mounted in an annular recess in the exhaust end of the nozzle housing -l l2 and fixed in this position by means of a centering ring 121 which is screw threaded intothe innerend portion of the nozzle housing.

In'normal position before ignition of the propellent grain, the spring I28 is expanded and maintains the movable'spider I Hi. snugly-against the fixed abutment grid 40.. The minimum ef- 4 fective throat area between the nozzle I22 and the inverted tapered cone portion I Hl-is obtained in this position. .After the propellent grain has been ignited and the gas pressure in the motor tube chamber I29 reaches a sufiicient value, it is exhausted through the ports 4| of the fixed abutment spider and the ports I30 of the movable spider H5 and passes outwardly through the spring chamber E20 and further outwardly through the eflective throat area between the minimum diameter portion of the nozzle chamber I23 and. the maximum portion of the inverted tapered cone I I9. If a spring having the desired resistance to compression and a cone having the desired form of invertedaend portion are selected, the pringmay be eempressedand exp nded. d

pending upon the maximum -or minimum value,-

of the pressure present in the motor tube chamber until. equilibrium has been established between the spring; compression and, the gas; pres-- sure. Tzhus, depending upon the gas .pressure in thehamber I 29., the c mpr ty fthesprine: 1.2.8 and the degree of taper of the inverted-cone 19;. the :movable spider :5 may be rearwardL-Y moved trom its normal position as shown Q'za position where it, engages the shoulder-1 lfiofzthe nozzle housing as shown by the dotted lines. It will be appa-rent that as-theinverted cone portion moves outwardly into the nozzle chamber, the efiective throat area is increased; to permit the, flowof a greater volume of gas. Conversely-when the inverted cone vportion is moved inwardly-and away :from the nozzle chamber-by expansion oi the spring, the effective throat-:area-B decreased thereby tending to maintain a constantsgasipliesr sure within the motor tube chamber.

We claim:

Ina-rocket-propelled device having apropelling charge .andaa motor tubecontainin isaidcharge;

said tube having any exhaust end, a i ridyfixed in,

the motor tube adjacent to. but spaced inwardly from said end, ;a regulator cone mounted onthe grid being located axially of the motor tubeand,

including a=tapered portion extendin outwardly beyond theexhaust end, a .nozzle :housing .attached to. the tube in the space between its,-.exhaust end and the grid, to abut the grid, v:saidnozzle being counterbored .to form :a shoulder and part-of a spring chamber, a nozzle tube .011;- erable in the housing, completing the spring chamber, said nozzle tube havinga ,llenturL-bore occupiedrby the tapered ,portion ofthe V regulator coneand having a flange engageable with the. nozz'le'housing shoulder, a spring in the chamber pressing on the. flange, and .aring .carried by the nozzle housing, centering the. nozzletube. andprovi'ding an'abutment for the spring.

'FRANKEIN .E. .ROA'CI-I.

O. 'EVANS 'DUEMLER.

REFERENCES "CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- '1,901-,852 Stolfa etal ,'Mar.14', 1"9'33 I-FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 523,468 Great Britain July 15,1940 

